Website Modernization for a News Corp–Owned Platform
Executive Summary
Storyful, a global social media intelligence platform owned by News Corp, required a full website redevelopment to modernize design, improve performance, and simplify content management within WordPress.
Multidots rebuilt the site using advanced Gutenberg blocks, migrated legacy content structures, and optimized performance—resulting in a 53% improvement in page speed while maintaining SEO integrity.
Page Load Speed Improvement
Mobile Performance Improvement
About: STORYFUL
Storyful is a global news and intelligence agency specializing in verified social media content.
Founded by Irish journalists and acquired by News Corp in 2013, Storyful serves major media outlets, global brands, and communication teams worldwide.
Key figures include:
- Estimated revenue exceeding $23 million
- 200+ employees globally
Brand
Employees
Video Library
The Challenge: Modernization Without Performance Trade-Offs
Storyful required a redevelopment of its WordPress website to modernize layout, improve UX, and enable advanced content management. This needed to come without compromising speed or SEO performance.
The key challenges included:
- Outdated templates and layout structures
- Need for dynamic management of Resources and Blogs modules
- Migration from Classic editor to Gutenberg
- Maintaining Core Web Vitals compliance despite adding animations
- Integration of marketing forms and third-party tools
- Ensuring GDPR compliance
The Goal: Deliver a modern, animation-enhanced website powered by Gutenberg blocks while improving page speed and simplifying editorial workflows.
The Solution: Gutenberg-Driven Architecture & Performance Optimization
Multidots executed a structured redevelopment focused on modular architecture and performance-first engineering.
Key Technical Implementations:
- Full Design Revamp: Modernized layout, structure, and UI while preserving SEO integrity.
- Dynamic Gutenberg Blocks: Built advanced reusable blocks with filtering options for Resources and Blogs modules.
- Custom Post Types: Migrated data into new custom post types including Resources, Testimonials, and Clients for streamlined management.
- Classic to Gutenberg Migration: Developed a migration script to transition content from Classic editor to Gutenberg.
- Form Integrations: Embedded SalesForce and Mailchimp forms directly within Gutenberg blocks.
- GDPR Compliance Integration: Implemented compliance mechanisms to ensure privacy standards.
- Intercom Optimization: Replaced plugin-based Intercom management with theme-level integration settings.
- Template Simplification: Replaced legacy templates with modular Gutenberg blocks for easier customization.
- Dynamic Module Controls: Developed blocks with hide/show controls, color settings, post selectors, layout options, and drag-and-drop functionality.
- Theme Configuration Settings: Enabled centralized control for GTM scripts, third-party keys, and placeholder images.
The Results: Faster Performance & Editorial Efficiency
The migration delivered measurable performance and usability improvements.
1. Performance Gains
- 53% improvement in page load speed
- Passed all Core Web Vitals benchmarks
- 87.76% increase in Mobile Homepage Score
- 3.13% increase in Desktop Homepage Score
2. Editorial Improvements
- Streamlined content management using dynamic Gutenberg blocks
- Faster updates and easier content maintenance
- Reduced dependency on rigid templates
3. UX & Visual Enhancements
- Contemporary animations integrated without performance compromise
- Improved visual engagement
- More flexible and reusable design components
Website Modernization for a News Corp–Owned Platform
Storyful partnered with Multidots to modernize its WordPress platform, improving page speed by 53% while maintaining SEO performance.
